


Ascension

by WindMeister8



Series: Somebody To Die For [2]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Action, Alien Planet, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Conspiracy, Dystopia, F/M, Multi, Romance, Science Fiction, Technology, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-18 02:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5895139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindMeister8/pseuds/WindMeister8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Earth that we know of is entering a fast spiral towards death. For years, mankind has contaminated and exploited the resources that Earth has to offer. Finally, Mother Nature has turned against the human race. Its fury has been unleashed and every place on Earth has been ravaged by natural catastrophes.</p><p>Searching for a new planet to call home, the World Government issued a challenge to find and establish contact with sovereign species. Your company chooses Planet Tristan as the basis of the search but until recently, nothing has been found. That all changed upon the first alien attack on the facility which led to the contamination of four humans – one of which being the brilliant scientist, Lelouch. The four humans were termed the hybrids and required a significant other to help control their volatile biological system. As it turned out, you became Lelouch’s controller and together, the two of you managed to uncover a deadly secret. A secret that seemed to have its reaches far up in the hierarchy of power. A secret that people would kill for….</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trapped

__

27 years ago. 2044.  
**Celebrating 10 years of peace.**  


With the establishment of the Prime Territories in March 2034, mankind has finally found its foothold on Earth after the devastating turn of events that caused the decimation of more than two-thirds the population of the world. Natural disasters still continuously ravage every piece of land – save for one.  
      Prime Territories is represented by the two pieces of land Britannia and Shirenia, geographically separated by the Peridia Ocean. Strategically located along the Xeres Line, it is the only places left on Earth that is not plagued by natural disasters. In an effort to curb the sheer numbers of people entering Prime Territories, the newly formed World Government has enforced policies that will help them maintain law and order. Despite the numerous rebellions that have occurred since then, the Government has quelled discontent and the people from all three Territories – Prime, High, and Low – have expressed satisfaction with their current lives.

 

The sound of a melodic chord filled the Recovery room, signaling to its occupants that it was time to join the all-hands meeting remotely via the teleconference communication uplink. Soft murmurs that previously permeated the room died down and a collective silence ensued.

Across the room, Gilbert – a slender, bespectacled man – tapped the button on the control pad, launching the authentication process that would scan each and every one of us before connecting to the teleconference channel. Looking to my right, I watched as the violet-eyed Lelouch held up his index finger to his mouth. The rest of us nodded in agreement, having discussed this beforehand.

It had been over a week since the events of the last alien attack that had left thirty people dead, over fifty plus people injured and a quarter of the facility now reduced to rubble. I found it hard to believe that only two months ago, I was sitting behind my desk, bored from staring at communication signals, looking for signs of alien communication on Planet Tristan while secretly hoping the company would just send us home.

“God must be playing with me”, was what I thought when the first alien seemingly by magic appeared in the middle of the facility. That first alien attack turned out to be devastating, not only in terms of destruction and fatality count. It was only later on that I found out of the hybrids – the four humans working in Lab 9 that had been infected by the alien, including Lelouch, the genius scientist that I had a soft spot for. The murderous power and unstable body that the hybrids had obtained as a result could only be brought under control by a very specific person in their lives. As fate would have it, I turned out to be that very person – the controller – for Lelouch.

Together, we managed to pin the alien attacks on our insane head scientist, Nina, and shockingly the top of our company. However, it didn’t just end there. We now knew that these incidents were far from coincidence and had been authorized by someone of a much higher authority that we initially thought.

Coming to the realization that we could not do this alone, we managed to rope in all the other hybrid-controller pairs during the time that we spent together in the Recovery room that housed all of us. It wasn’t an easy job, what with the surveillance and all, but eventually they all came to the understanding that we had to cooperate and unite against our mutual enemy.

For the past few days, we had secretly begun hammering out our strategy, knowing that it won’t be long before another alien would be brought out to test our abilities.

How these aliens were being controlled, why there was a need to create hybrids.. all these were just large question marks in our mind. But first, we had to get word out to Earth about this.

It was a two-pronged attack strategy devised by Lelouch. It was obvious that we had to gain control of the facility but in tandem, we needed help, support, and publicity about the events that had happened. Public outcry would be the only way to defend our blatant act of rebellion, without which we would all end up either in jail or banished to the High Territories or God forbid, be deported straight to Low Territories.

I had an idea bout that but ironically, for it to succeed, I needed Nina to be the catalyst. I needed her to be as vicious and cold-hearted as possible during this meeting, though I doubted that would pose a problem for her.

Meanwhile, all of us would be silent during this meeting that had been called by Nina. Instead, we would let others voice out their anger and concern. As Lelouch had argued, nothing good would come out of us speaking.

A blanket of silence had descended upon the room as the large-screen monitor lit up with an image of Nina sitting at her desk. The rest of the people would be watching the same broadcast as us from their separate locations. They would be praying that the mission would be called off, that they would be able to return home and that the nightmare would soon end. Alas, they would be in for a shock.

“My fellow employees..” Nina began, the word ‘fellow’ leaving her lips like a bitter aftertaste. “I’m sure by now all of you have heard of how our four hybrids have successfully defeated the alien that attacked our facility. Yes, we have suffered tragic losses and my heart goes out to all those who have perished..”

A small scoff escaped the redhead sitting opposite me, earning a glare from Lelouch. But I couldn’t help but grin at Kallen’s disdain for Nina’s false sympathy. Over time, we had gotten closer, earning each other’s respect and friendship. I had learnt that Kallen was not one to mince her words or hide her feelings. It was one of her strengths.. and her faults. But for someone like me who constantly puts on a façade, I appreciated and trusted someone like her.

The cacophony of protests that erupted from the room’s loudspeakers brought me back to reality. Nina must have dropped the bomb shell. Voices rose in confusion and panic as they took in the news that we weren’t packing our bags and leaving.

“..are you kidding??”

“People have died!”

“Are you insane?!”

I could still hear small snippets although they were all generally in the same vein. Occasionally, I thought I would hear my friends Rivalz and Shirley as well. Their exact words were difficult to catch but the general emotion captured in the growing swarm of voices were the same.

Fear, anger, and despair.

As the people began to take on a united stance, they started threatening to go on strike if this madness were to continue. Even as the people’s words dissolved into a chant of ‘We want to go home’, Nina’s expression remained stoic and unmoving. After letting them continue for a solid minute, Nina raised her hand, effectively silencing the virtual crowd.

“I understand your concerns but this has always been our mission. To establish contact with the aliens on this planet and assess the possibility of relocating mankind here. Yes, we have had a less than cordial meeting with them but with the hybrids, we may now possess the key to conduct a proper talk.”

Nina paused slightly for effect, a small smirk barely visible at the corner of her lips. “So,” she emphasized, “if you’re insisting on leaving, I’ll have to go by policy rules. Which, judging by the importance of the mission and severity of your action, would constitute a black mark on your record.”

She left her sentence hanging in the air, knowing that those words would strike fear into everyone’s hearts. We knew this was coming since she had used the same tactic on us – which was exactly why we had to take over the control from her by force. Black marks would affect all of the hybrid-controller pairs but maybe not some of the other people in the station.

As expected, several people immediately spoke up, the effect of a black mark not being able to tarnish their perfect record. Confident that Nina had no hold on them, they demanded to leave Planet Tristan immediately and secure safe passage back to Earth.

We waited with bated breath to see how Nina would react.

Contemplating it for a minute before replying, Nina’s words were measured and calm. “Fine. If you insist on this childish behavior, then I have no choice. A black mark will go on your records and I’ll arrange a space shuttle to take you back. Since we only have one primed and ready at the moment, we’ll send you back in batches. The first batch leaves tomorrow. We’ll randomly pick people for the first batch and you’ll be notified via T-Link. That concludes the meeting today.”

The screen went dark and the same melodic chord played, announcing the end of the broadcasted meeting. We looked at each other apprehensively, wondering how this would play out. Something told me that this was too good to be true, although I hoped to God that I was wrong.

 

“You’re leaving in the second batch, Shirley?”

“You saw what happened! If we stay here, we’re bound to die,” the orange-haired girl argued as she stabbed her fork into the jelly in front of her, angered by this predicament that had befallen all of us.

I glanced at my two other close friends, Milly and Rivalz. Unlike Shirley, they wore a defeated expression, shaped by the fact that they knew they had no way off this station. 

Slightly peeved at Shirley for sealing our fates here, I replied sarcastically, “Yeah, of course.  That’s exactly why we’re staying here. To die.”

Shirley’s mouth formed a big ‘O’, offended by my reaction. Before she could retaliate, Milly quickly interjected, “So (F/N), they finally let you out of Recovery today?”

“Yeah. They’re satisfied with our conditions. And since we found out that controllers don’t need to be in close contact with hybrids, we’re free to move around the station.”

“Milly.”

We turned to look at Rivalz who had been silent the entire time, which was unlike his usual bubbly cheerful self. He was staring intently at Milly, his expression the most serious I had ever seen before.

“Wha-what is it, Rivalz?” Milly asked, slightly taken aback by the intensity of his gaze.

“You should go back too,” he stated firmly.

Milly shot me a furtive glance but this was something I had no control over. In addition, I wasn’t sure myself of which course of action was better. On one hand, Nina’s actions were suspicious. On the other, this seemed to be the only easy way out. If Milly left, I would lose the trump card that I had ready up my sleeve, waiting for the right moment to play it. If she didn’t, her risk of dying here was high.

“Rivalz, you know I can’t. My record is already on the brink of the red zone,” Milly reasoned.

Rivalz brought his fist down hard on the table, causing the cutlery to rattle. We stared at him, shocked by his sudden outburst. All the years I’ve known him, he had never shown his anger before. He was the most benign person I knew.

“That’s not good enough!”

All eyes in the cafeteria turned to look at him. Realizing that he had just raised his voice, Rivalz muttered a small ‘Sorry’ and left hurriedly. 

“I’ll go after him,” I said, rushing out the door to catch up with his retreating figure.

Breaking out in a small jog, I easily caught up with him as he rounded the corner. His back was hunched and his hands were balled into fists at his side. I could tell that my oldest friend was breaking down emotionally and despite wanting to comfort him in some way, I knew there was little I could do or say to ease his mind. Instead, I was going to use his state of mind as my trump card. It was times like these that I really despised myself. Yet, that wasn’t going to change me or what I was going to do next.

“Rivalz,” I called after him. “We need to talk.”

Without waiting for his reply, I dragged him into the disabled toilet, locking it behind me in one swift motion.

“What are you doing, (F/N)?” he said quietly.

I lifted a finger to my mouth, indicating that he should be quiet. From my pocket, I retrieved a small device and pointed it around the small cubicle. A little green light flashed and I sighed softly, glad that there were no cameras or audio devices implanted in the toilet. 

“Rivalz, remember the day you found me in the trash at High Residency?”

He frowned as he tried to recollect what had happened. After a brief moment, his eyes widened and he looked at me accusingly.

“Yeah, I remember now. Mind telling me why I found you sliding down the rubbish chute all secretive-like?” he said, placing his hands on his hips.

Taking in a deep breath, I stared right back at him and replied, “We believe Nina is behind all these alien attacks.”

His expression turned from one of anger to shock and then disbelief. Shifting his feet from side to side, his eyes darted all over the cubicle as he tried to make sense of what I had just said. He wagged his finger at me as he said, “So…. So the other day… when you asked me about the first alien attack and who had given orders. You knew right? You knew that Nina was the one?”

“I had my suspicions, yes.”

Rivalz bit the side of his lips and nodded. He turned to look at me with a pained expression. “Then why? Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell me?” he said bitterly.

“I didn’t have any concrete evidence at that time but I do now-“ 

“Do you not think of us as your friends? The ‘we’ you talk about refers to whom? Your new hybrid-controller friends? Your crush, Lelouch? Did you not stop to consider how this would impact us as well? And… and look at what has happened now. After all those deaths, after what could have happened to Shirley, Milly and me-“

I felt a huge weight slowly descend on my chest as his words came gushing out. It hurt so much, listening to my dearest friend pour out his feelings of being betrayed by me. But I couldn’t let my pain show, I mustn’t let it show.

“Shut up, Rivalz! And what good would that have done? What would you have done if I had told you? You think we can just walk up to Nina and accuse her? I did what I thought was best. Involving you guys would only get all of us in trouble,” I snapped.

Refusing to look at me, he rubbed the back of his head, deep in thought. Finally, he heaved a sigh. “So.. you’re telling me this now. Why?”

I uttered a silent ‘thank you’ in my mind, knowing that the first barrier had been broken. “I need your help, Rivalz.”

“Now you need my help,” he snorted. “And how may I be of assistance, my queen?”

Ignoring the sarcasm, I answered, “I need you to send word out to Earth about this. I know you have contacts in media-“

“And why should I do that? Shirley’s going back home and I’ll get Milly to go back as well… somehow. You can take care of yourself here and I… well, I don’t mind dying here. So why should I bother getting myself in trouble?” 

“Rivalz,” I said softly, reaching my hand out to grasp his shoulders.

He turned away from me and unlocked the bathroom door with a click. His hand hesitated on the door handle and he whispered, “I’m sorry, (F/N), but you’re on your own.”

And with that, he was gone.

 

Later that evening, we crowded around the large hall, watching the multiple screens that canvassed the length of the wall. The first batch of people was leaving for Earth and the second batch – which included Shirley – would be leaving the week after. I stood with Milly and Shirley at the back of the room, Rivalz slightly a ways off. I knew he was avoiding me and that only worsened the ache in my heart. 

Trying to take my mind off him, I surveyed the room and its occupants. A large number of people had gathered to observe the departure; some of them excited about the prospect of leaving, some of them worried and having reservations about the whole idea. From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Lelouch and his best friend, Suzaku standing at the corner of the room. They too looked apprehensive and tense.

As I stared, Lelouch turned and met my gaze. He gave a slight nod and I returned it, knowing that whatever was going to happen now would shape the course of our actions. 

“Launch commencing,” the operator announced over the loudspeakers.

Everyone’s gaze shifted to the screens and we watched as the last preparations took place. A few screens showed the launch pad bursting with activity while a couple more showed the interior of the space ship and its occupants. The first batch of randomly chosen individuals looked tense but their expressions conveyed hope and relief. 

The countdown began and I held my breath. 

“..1.”

The roar of the engines was deafening. In a few seconds, the space ship accelerated and shot out of the station, soon becoming a blinking dot in the sky. The feed from inside the ship was still live and we could see and hear the people cheering as they entered space.

I breathed a sigh of relief and I could hear Milly utter a small ‘Thank God’ beside me. People were already filtering out of the hall when we heard a loud bang from the speakers. Turning back to the screens, we saw the pilots fiddling with the controls.

“It’s probably turbulence or some space debris,” we heard the pilot say.

The space ship rocked even harder and the feed registered static for a second. When it came back on, we could see the fear etched on the occupants’ faces. As the pilots messed further with the switches, panic took hold of the people both in the space ship and in the station. 

The frantic voice of the pilot came over the loudspeakers. “May day, may day. Calling base station. Shuttle One requesting for assist-“

A bright flash accompanied by a boom filled the hall, the sound pulsating through my body and exerting a huge pressure on my chest. I closed my eyes at the discomfort, my heart pounding with fear as I dreaded seeing the scene in front of me. A hush had fallen over the air, and I slowly opened my eyes to see everyone staring wide-eyed at the screens.

The feed had gone black. At the side, another screen showed the vitals of the passengers on board the shuttle, flat lines running across it. A plaintive wail tore through the silence, soon to be followed by other sounds of grief.

My heart fell as the message became clear. Nobody was leaving this planet.


	2. Monster

__

**The Residential Points System**

**Article 1.1** – Each family unit is required to maintain at least 150 points per adult over 21 years of age each month to retain their residential status within the Prime Territories.  
 **Article 1.2** – If a family unit falls below 150 points per month, relocation procedures will be initiated within the month and a notice will be issued to the family in advance.  
 **Article 2.1** – Black marks may be issued at the employer’s discretion and must be followed up by a detailed report that has to be submitted to the Territorial Committee.  
 **Article 2.2** – Black marks may be given due to insubordination, unsatisfactory progress, or failure to perform said duties. This list is not restrictive and is subject to the scrutiny of the employer.  
 **Article 2.3** – When the first black mark is received, a warning is issued to the family unit and depending on the severity of the black mark, a Guard is posted to secure the safety and stability of said family unit. Upon receiving a second black mark, relocation procedures is initiated immediately.

 

Tensions ran high among all the employees in the facility. Every day, there was at least one incident of someone suffering a mental breakdown, throwing a violent fit, or holding a protest. After the “accidental” explosion of the space shuttle, nobody dared to take the following rides back home. There was no question as to what had happened or what would happen to the next group of people who attempted to leave. The real question was what to do next.

The more daring ones took it up with Nina only to come away with a grim look on their faces and a defeated spirit. Needless to say, Nina had firmly denied any connections with the unfortunate accident and threatened to serve out black marks to anyone who bothered taking the case further. That was sufficient to deter any employee from speaking up ever again.

Some were more cunning and attempted to send word out to people back on Earth. Communications, however, were severely guarded and even the once-a-week calls that each employee was entitled to had been limited and monitored. With someone literally listening to every word you said and making sure you stayed within the five minutes allocated time, there was no way anyone could say something without being caught. Network connections were also a no-go. Given the limited bandwidth that we had, it was incredibly simple for Nina’s people to install strict firewall rules that inspected each communication we sent. 

The dwindling options coupled with the daunting realization that we were trapped here at the mercy of Nina dealt a swift blow to everyone’s morale. From the grapevine, I had heard whispers of some people who wanted to start a rebellion but when push came down to shove, nobody would dare to take the initiative. 

But the fact that so many of us were contemplating ways of escaping meant that we had a chance. The problem would be weeding out those who were not of the same minds. That was exactly what we were discussing now, hunched over in one of the waiting rooms within the Containment facility. While Suzaku and Euphemia were having their daily training session, the rest of us had been shoved into an adjacent room. Security was lax the past few days due to the increased amount of surveillance required elsewhere. The single CCTV feed that monitored the room we were in was already under my control and I had it replay a video of us in a constant loop until we were done with discussions.

“…In a way, this works out to our advantage.” Lelouch’s voice brought me back to reality as he summed up the recent events.

“With everyone’s heightened emotions, we can easily filter out those who aren’t with us. This is our chance,” he stated firmly.

Looking at all of us in turn, he continued, “We need to act now and fast. We don’t need to make contact with every single employee – just a few key people who you can recruit.”

“Kallen, find out which guards will be willing to back us up. Cornelia, see who of the remaining scientists can help with our powers. (F/N), check for moles in the general populace.”

The three of us nodded in agreement. According to Lelouch’s calculations, the next alien attack would happen soon. We needed to make as much progress as possible on all fronts of our mission before then. The next phase of our plans would depend heavily on the results we obtained now. There was something that nagged at the back of my mind though.

“I wonder if it is just my paranoid thinking... but don’t you think that the company specifically chose the employees here for this mission?” I pondered out loud.

I could see the frowns forming as it slowly dawned on them that nobody was exempt from the effects of a black mark. Although a single black mark did not have immediate impact on residency, it raised the bar on the minimum points needed per month to secure a pass. That meant that all the employees here were scraping the bare minimum of 150 points per month and thus, would not be able to afford the increase. 

So that would include the people here as well. My gaze swept over Kallen, Gino, Cornelia, and Gilbert. I could easily see how that would apply to them despite, say Gino and Cornelia’s status. From what I heard, Kallen was actively involved in protests and Gilbert had a dubious background. That was enough to tarnish Gino and Cornelia’s records. On the other hand, it was a mystery to me as to why Lelouch would be affected by this. 

“That is certainly a possibility,” Lelouch answered, breaking through my thoughts. “If that’s the case, it backs up our theory that they have been preparing for a long time. Nothing has been left to chance. I’m about 95% sure that they have a way of transporting the aliens into the facility. We just need to find out how-”

There was a faint whizzing sound of a door sliding shut. Hurriedly, Kallen and Gino made for their seats at the opposite end of the room. Cornelia and Gilbert sidled further away, maintaining a steady stream of idle conversation to keep up the pretense. I slipped my hand into my pockets, fiddling for the small device hidden inside. As I pressed the small button, releasing the CCTV from its constant loop, the door to our room slid open, admitting Nina.

“Well, well,” she beamed, obviously pleased with Suzaku and Euphemia’s training session. 

“Come, we have no time to lose.”

 

Our training session had been even more draining than the previous ones. We had progressed so much further since the first time we tested Lelouch’s powers on a dummy. Our syncing was almost instantaneous and by now, we could activate Lelouch’s telekinesis within a few seconds as well. Endurance was still an issue and the longest we could go without losing control was about five minutes. We went over that time limit today and the result was nothing short of disastrous. Three guards were injured in the process and there was a new dent in the thick armor of the training room.

Tired and running low on energy, we had retired to the Control Center to grab a quick bite. Now that we were slightly re-energized, we were on our way back for some more training and lab tests. As we passed by the ruins of some of the labs, I was reminded of how lethal the hybrid’s powers could be. I stole a glance at Lelouch who was deep in thought as usual. We still did not have a full understanding of the effects of the alien entities and it was a little concerning as to how this would affect the mental state of the hybrids and controllers. 

Being something that was not human and yet not alien put us smack in the middle of unknown territory. Sometimes, I questioned myself as to whether I had already lost control of my human mind. But then again, I was already a monster in some people’s eyes.

“(F/N)?”

My head snapped back up as I heard Lelouch call my name. “Yeah?”

“Is something wrong? Your eyes were glazed over,” he said, a tinge of concern in his voice.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just thinking about how to increase our endurance,” I smoothly lied.

Lelouch eyed me closely but I only stared straight back at him, my facial expression unreadable. His gaze flickered to the surroundings before returning to rest on me.

“It’s Rivalz, right?”

The sound of Rivalz’s name sent a jolt down my spine. I had not talked to him ever since the day I tried to recruit him into our plan. Even though we sat at the same table together with Milly and Shirley, we did not utter a word to each other. The two girls tried to get us to speak or at least say what was wrong but our lips were sealed. This was the first time I had ever seen Rivalz so mad with me. I missed his annoying chatter, and his whole-hearted concern for everyone except himself. But I had no idea how to even begin repairing our relationship or whether it was salvageable.

“I take it he’s not willing to help us then?”

It struck me that we were talking about our plans in the wide open and I whirled around to check the vicinity. There was nobody in plain sight. It was lunch hour after all, and all the employees working on reconstructing the labs were back at the Control Center. Surveillance in this area was also limited due to the extent of the damage wrecked by the first alien attack. 

“It’s fine, I checked,” Lelouch assured me.

Letting out a long sigh, I replied bitterly, “He wants nothing to do with it. We might have to find an alternative.”

Frowning, Lelouch asked, “Is it because he can- I mean, could have left this planet?”

I snorted in amusement. “Of course not. Most of us don’t have that luxury since we barely earn enough points to keep our residential pass.”

“That’s certainly true,” Lelouch agreed.

I looked at him curiously, pondering the question I had in my mind earlier this morning. Knowing that this was probably the best time to inquire, I broached the topic cautiously.

“How about you, Lelouch? Don’t you earn enough points given that you’re one of the brightest scientists in the company?”

His look of surprise at my direct question was to be expected. If we were back on Earth, I would not have dared to ask about such a sensitive matter. A family’s earning potential was strictly confidential and it symbolized their ranking within the population. Many a time, disclosing the amount of points led to enemies or rivals using that information to cause them to lose their points. But given our current situation, I felt I had the need to know his standing since that would affect his motivations for going ahead with the plans.

“Ah…” Lelouch looked up at the pale orange sky, his violet eyes distant and sorrowful. 

I watched him closely, puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor. Never in the years that I had known or heard of Lelouch, did I recall him showing this side of himself. He had always struck me as the quiet, smart guy who was respected by everyone. His life seemed to be the complete opposite of mine; where mine was fraught with turbulence, hatred, and loneliness, his was smooth-flowing, full of life and happiness. It was one of the many things that I envied about him.

“I usually don’t tell this to anyone, but given the circumstances, I guess you should know,” he said after a period of silence. “My parents passed away a few years back and I have a disabled sister who’s above 21 years of age.”

His confession was slightly surprising but it all made sense now. Being the sole provider, he had to earn double the number of points for the siblings to remain in Prime Territory. If it were just him, he would have more than enough. But with the burden of an extra adult who could not bring in any points, he had to earn twice as much. I recalled that there were some programs that helped people in such situations, normally by relocating the burdensome person to a facility located at the divider between Prime and High Territories. The facility boasted top medical treatments, excellent services and programs, as well as being strategically located close enough to Prime Territories to not be affected by disasters. However, the strict inter-border travel policies meant that visits were close to impossible.

“Have you considered enrolling yourself into that program that helps with disabled family members?” I thought out loud.

He turned to face me, eyebrows raised, and his lips curved downwards slightly as if expressing distaste. I instantly regretted bringing it up, realizing that I had just suggested something that most people would deem as highly selfish and cruel. 

“Sorry. Just forget what I said,” I quickly covered up my mistake. “This is just how people like me think. I didn’t mean anything.”

Lelouch’s eyes widened and to my surprise, he chuckled lightly. “It’s alright, (F/N). Actually, it did cross my mind once or twice. After all, I can’t afford to give her the treatment she needs. I want what’s best for her but in the end… I guess I just wanted her by my side.”

He smiled gently, obviously thinking of his sibling. “So I guess I’m more like you than you think.”

My heart skipped a beat as I considered the implications of what he had just said. More than once had I been called heartless in similar situations. But this was the first time someone actually had the same line of thought as me. And it wasn’t just anyone – it was one of the most respected minds in the company… a normal person, unlike me. Maybe I wasn’t such a monster after all. 

Lelouch’s head snapped up as the low rumble of a cart echoed in the silence. From where we stood, we could see a silhouette pushing one of the larger garbage carts in our direction. I quickly factored in the distance and the small time window where we briefly mentioned our plans, coming to a fast conclusion that it would have been impossible for whoever it was to have heard us.

Resuming idle banter to keep up the pretense, I asked Lelouch, “So, ready for the next round?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind going back to grab another one of those delicious stews that Shirley makes,” Lelouch joked.

As the silhouette drew closer, I started making out the slightly tinted blue hair and the distinct way that it curled out… it was Rivalz. One part of me felt relieved at the fact that it was someone we could trust; another part of me was nervous about meeting him again. Should I greet him? With just a “hey” or a nod or not at all?

As it turned out, Lelouch made the decision for me. He leaned in close and whispered right next to my ear, “We’re recruiting him now. Get ready.”

Before I had time to protest, Rivalz was within a few feet from where we stood. His gaze fell on us and although he broke into a smile, I could see through his façade. I didn’t know what Lelouch was up to but whatever it was, there was no need for me to say anything at the moment.

“Oh hey, it’s you guys. I guess you’re headed back to Containment. Well, I won’t get in your way then,” Rivalz said a little too quickly.

He made to move but Lelouch placed his hand on the rim of the garbage cart. “Ah, Rivalz. You’re just the person I wanted to see. Could you spare me a moment?”

Lelouch flashed a dazzling smile as he asked, his words more of a statement than a question. I circled the garbage cart like a vulture, cornering my prey. Rivalz saw me approach from the corner of his eyes and uttered a small sigh, knowing that he had no choice in the matter.

A few seconds later, the three of us stood behind one of the ruins, the garbage cart hidden behind one of the larger remaining walls. The two men faced each other while I took up a sentry position slightly further away, ready to alert them if someone happened to pass by.

Rivalz glared at Lelouch, his arms folded across his chest. Lelouch, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed as he smiled back at the glaring man in front of him. As I scanned the vicinity, I couldn’t help but sneak a few glances in their way, curious as to how Lelouch planned to convince Rivalz.

Rivalz broke the silence first. “If it’s about helping you guys, stop wasting your time. I don’t intend to participate in any of your plans. I don’t care about what happens to you hybrids anyway.”

My hands balled into fists at my side but I kept my position. I knew in my heart that Rivalz did not really mean what he said. With recent events, he was even more concerned about doing anything that would put him in Nina’s bad books and he had good reason to. Yet his attitude triggered a slight pain in my chest and I couldn’t help but think that he not only meant the hybrids, but me as well.

“I understand where you’re coming from, Rivalz. And I don’t want to coerce you into anything,” Lelouch began, sounding like an experienced diplomat.

“But..” he stressed, “I think you need to understand something.”

With that, Lelouch’s smile dropped and he held Rivalz’s gaze with such a serious intensity that made the man fidget uncomfortably.

“Let me tell you exactly what’s going to happen to this station from now on,” Lelouch continued. “The first two alien attacks were just the beginning. There will be more. Their purpose – to test the full potential of the hybrids.”

“They will wreck havoc in the station, causing deaths in the general population, just as the previous attacks have done.” Lelouch gestured to the wreckage that we now stood in.

Rivalz’s eyes followed his motion, taking in the amount of destruction that had happened in a matter of minutes. He seemed to ponder what Lelouch had said and was about to argue when Lelouch picked up his speech where he left off.

“Yes, their target is us but during the fight, collateral damage is bound to happen,” he swiftly dismissed Rivalz’s point before it was even made.

“Even if the damage is limited, there’s nothing to say that it won’t cause harm to the hybrids… and controllers as well,” Lelouch paused for effect.

My eyebrows knitted as I tried to discern where Lelouch was attempting to go with this line of reasoning. Since Rivalz had made his stance clear earlier on, there was no point in using this argument. His concerns lied with Milly and Shirley, not us.

As Lelouch studied Rivalz’s reactions, he said slowly, “We’re in unknown territory here. We already know that if something happens to the controllers, the hybrids experience pain as well. But that could mean that the reverse is possible – if something happens to the hybrids, the controllers feel the pain.”

Rivalz’s gaze flickered in my direction and returned back to Lelouch when he spoke again.

“We don’t know. But I know this for sure.” Lelouch leaned in closer until he was barely inches away from Rivalz’s face.

“With or without your help, a lot of us are going to die here on this planet.”

His last sentence hung in the air like a dark cloud above us, the weight of his words slowly sinking in. It was a grim picture of our near future and it reminded me how fragile life was. I thought I should have been used to it by now, but maybe the years spent in Prime Territory had softened me. It was time to get back into that mindset and prepare myself for the inevitable.

All of a sudden, the piercing shriek of alarms shattered the silence. I covered my ears at the sudden assault and looked up to see the strobing red light of a distant alarm light. The announcement system started up almost immediately and through the din of the alarm, we heard a few words, “Evacuation… breach… alien.”

Whirling around, I saw Lelouch looking grimly at me. The time had come. It was too soon but then again, Nina had looked extremely pleased earlier with all our results. Pleased enough to unleash another alien, it would seem. I broke into a small trot and joined the two men.

“We have to go,” Lelouch said sharply as he turned away from Rivalz.

I gave a curt nod and followed suit, only to be stopped by a hand pulling on my wrist. Tilting my head back slightly, I saw an ashen-faced Rivalz gripping my left hand. 

His fear was evident, and it showed in the way his voice came out slightly high-pitched than usual. “Are you really going to fight the alien now?”

“Yes,” I answered, a blank look on my face.

“B-but you barely ate anything just now! How are you going to go up against it?” he jabbered, stumbling over some of his words.

I stared at him intently as he continued to speak, not really listening to his words, because all that I cared about was the fact that he had just expressed concern for my well-being. Studying every detail of his face, a small smile made its way across my lips. Although we were much older now, he really hadn’t changed much. I never did know why Rivalz saw anything in me for him to call me a friend, and I guess I never will.

“Rivalz,” I cut him half-way through his ramble. “I have to go now. I don’t have a choice.”

Gently, I disengaged my wrist from his grip and turned back towards Lelouch who was waiting for me a few feet away.

“Be careful, (F/N),” I heard Rivalz call after me.

As I jogged away, I held my hand up in acknowledgement. It was strange how my mind was suddenly at peace. Nobody knew what was going to happen from here on out. I could survive this alien attack, but maybe not the next. Either way, I probably wasn’t going to survive this. But even though I was walking into the jaws of death, I had no regrets. 

Bring it on, you fucking alien.


	3. Distress Signal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(AU Note: For maximum effect, listen to[this](http://www.yourepeat.com/watch/?v=e2rLi5Q28Z4&start_at=42&end_at=132))**

_**Discovery and Contact of Sovereign Species Challenge**  
 **1.a** The objective of this challenge is to, in parallel with the Planetary Habitability Challenge (PHC), determine which colony in the Anvida universe is suitable to accommodate the homo sapiens race currently living on Earth. While the PHC focuses on the sufficiency of the environmental conditions, the DCSSC emphasizes the societal and political aspect of migrating homo sapiens to another planet. If a suitably promising planet is found by the PHC, the DCSSC further investigates the planet by determining if other species exist on said planet. When found to contain other living beings, the DCSSC moves on to its second phase of establishing contact with those habitants in order to form a peaceful relation with them.  
 **5.c** Contact with terrestrial beings must be cordial and kept to a **minimum**._

Were it not for the fact that there were several dead bodies littered on the ground, none of us would have thought that the mass of black particles hovering in the air was malicious. Watching the swarm of aliens on the camera feed, I felt sickened. Dozens of people were killed each time a creature was brought out to test the hybrids’ power. Yet those deaths were simply written off as collateral damage by Nina and the company.

If we didn’t act soon, who knew how many more would fall victim. But our plan was still in its infancy with too many unknowns to consider. The fact that we had to deal with Nina’s idea of a “test” using invading aliens irked me even more since it distracted us from formulating our next steps. As it were, she had left us in charge to deal with this new threat so that she could handle more pressing issues like protecting the Life Sustenance facility next door. Maybe it was all for the better though since we had more freedom to act as we liked.

So far, we had been given the rundown of what had happened and were now coming up with our course of action in one of the conference rooms within the Containment facility. Screens showing an array of CCTV feeds filled up an entire wall, while a holographic table occupied the center of the room. Situated at the back of room, I observed from a distance while the rest of the hybrids and controllers moved closer to the screens.

“It seems to act together as a group, spreading apart when needed to disorientate their victim and then coalescing to deal damage,” Lelouch said quietly, his hand under his chin as he analyzed the scene.

Gino approached the screen, tapping a few keys to enlarge a section of it. “The problem is that each individual creature is about as small as your typical fruit fly. And their black bodice seems to be coated with a substance that makes it even more invisible under the light. It’s only once they group together that they are actually visible.”

That was certainly a problem. I scanned the rest of the screens that covered all activity within the station grounds. Other than the center one that we were looking at, none of the other sections had any of those creatures.

“Well, at least they are concentrated in one spot, if that’s any consolation,” I remarked from my position at the back of the room.

Standing at the holographic table, Cornelia pulled up a segment of the map. “If that’s the case, we should aim to drive them here.”

We crowded around to take a look at the place she had indicated. It was a small alleyway between where we were currently located and the Life Sustenance facility. Rubble was strewn all over the cramped space, the clean-up of the station not quite reaching that area yet.

I could see why Cornelia had chosen that specific place. It was secluded, close to both us and the aliens, and most importantly we could use the terrain to our advantage by confining it to a smaller area. How to get them there and kill them was, however, another problem altogether.

“But how are we going to do that?” Kallen voiced out, her arms folded across her chest as she frowned in thought. “And even if we do, it’s not like we could kill them easily.”

Her question was met with silence as everyone pondered the various options. If we still had all the heavy artillery at our disposal, this wouldn’t be as big a problem. But just as before, we would have to make do with only the powers that the hybrids possessed. Given the current enemy we faced, however, manpower was essential and yet, we only had four. 

“They have to be vulnerable to something.” Suzaku paced the room as he thought out loud. “Cutting and bullets don’t work. But maybe heat… or ice might do the trick.”

“Sure,” Gino replied. “I mean, Cornelia and I could try that. But we can’t be sure. And that still doesn’t solve the matter of confining them.”

Mutters of frustration broke out in the conference room. Time was running out and we still hadn’t formulated a plan. As I focused my attention on the screen, watching the aliens spread out and move on, my fingers drummed against the table. There had to be something we were missing but I couldn’t put a finger on it. So engrossed was I in my thoughts that I almost jumped out of my seat when Lelouch tapped my shoulder.

“(F/N), can you pull up your communications record?”

I shrugged in response. “Sure.”

My laptop was at the Control Center but I should still be able to remotely login from one of the terminals here, presuming communications wasn’t down. I walked to one of the flashing computers, pulled up a chair, and set about my task. Lelouch stood behind me as my fingers danced over the keyboard, bringing up several windows of what had been captured over the past hour. It took some time for the data to be transferred over, but as the signals loaded, I could see several spikes emerge.

Lelouch pointed at the jagged lines. “Does this look similar to what you saw before when you observed the hybrids?”

Scrutinizing it carefully, I did a mental comparison with the signals I saw before. It wasn’t an exact match but it shared all the same characteristics.

“Yeah, it’s about 90% similar, I would say,” I replied. “Why?”

Lelouch looked back up at the screens before returning his gaze to the oscillating signal. “Those aliens work as a team by communicating using that frequency you have there. If we could just disrupt that communication, it should confuse them enough to hopefully drive them to where we want them to be.”

My eyebrows knotted together in concentration as I took in his words. It did seem that the signals were a result of the alien’s communication but we couldn’t be sure that disrupting that would in any way help us. Though I had to accede that despite it not being a perfect solution, it was the best we could do. 

“But how – “

Lelouch interrupted, “I have a plan.”

Ten minutes later, the conference room was a buzz of activity with the hybrids going through their plan A and B while the controllers proceeded to set everything in motion. As Cornelia monitored the movement of the aliens for any changes, Euphemia worked to ensure that every employee in the station was safely behind sound-proof walls. With Lelouch and Gino’s specific requirements for the material that they needed, I coordinated with the scientists and soldiers in Control Center to get it speedily made  and transported to where we were.

“They’ll be here any minute now,” I called out. “Cornelia, is it safe for them?”

“Yes. Ask them to hurry though. We don’t have much time.”

Nodding, I spoke curtly into my earpiece, relaying instructions to the team to deliver it to the West entrance where Gilbert and Kallen were waiting. Within a few minutes, the pair was back, wheeling a trolley that held three slabs of transparent reinforced glass able to withstand bullets and very high temperatures.

Lelouch went over to test the glass, rapping it a few times before he was satisfied with it. “I think we’re ready to go. Euphemia, has everyone been informed?”

From behind her station at the controls, she nodded, one hand still holding the headphones as she continued broadcasting throughout the station.

“Good.” Lelouch turned toward Cornelia. “Where are those aliens now?”

“They’re nearer to the Contingency facility, so Suzaku will have to move a bit further out,” she responded, her eyes not leaving the screen in front of her.

“Let’s move out then.”

 

Sitting in front of the main controls with Euphemia, I watched as the hybrids took up their various positions.  All of them save for Suzaku were wearing top quality headsets but I wondered whether that would be enough for later. As backup, Kallen and Gilbert were stationed nearby them in case anything were to happen. 

“Target hasn’t changed position. Get ready on my signal,” I said calmly.

“3… 2….”

“1.”

I hit the mute button, cutting off all sound. At the same time, Suzaku let out a piercing sonic scream from an alleyway diagonally across from where the mass of aliens were situated. I held my breath as I watched the signals jump erratically on my laptop screen. In tandem, the black mass grew thinner and spread out. It seemed to be working!

Grabbing my microphone piece, I spoke as loud as I could. “Suzaku, stop now!” 

“Okay, he stopped!” Euphemia called out as she watched his mouth close in response.

With a single swipe, I flicked the rest of the intercom switches back to on, allowing the rest of the hybrids to hear any communication.

“Cornelia, do it!”

From behind the building closest to the aliens, she swooped down and unleashed a burst of fire. All that could be seen on screen was a column of blazing orange. When the fire finally cleared, the ground was charred black but I couldn’t see any of the aliens dead on the ground. Squinting closer, I realized they were even more spread out than before. Their movement was frenzied, the fire probably having fried something in their system. A fraction of them broke off towards the target area but some headed towards the Control Center while others made a run for the main entrance.

Terror gripped me as our carefully laid plan threatened to go awry. Barking into the microphone, I directed Cornelia to head off those in the direction of the Control Center, and Suzaku to stun those moving to the target area. My sweat-laced palms slammed down on the mute button once more as I watched Suzaku’s mouth widen in another scream.

Sitting at the edge of my chair, my gaze never left the two hybrids as they worked hard to herd the aliens. My fingers drummed against the control panel in rhythm with my pounding heart. If this didn’t work, we were all doomed.

The sound of soft panting diverted my attention away from the screen. Turning my head towards the source, I took in the sight of Euphemia clutching her chest, her eyes blurry and unfocused. The effort of maintaining Suzaku’s transformation was straining her and based on the symptoms, the pair could only last a couple more seconds.

Cursing inwardly, I returned my focus back to the hybrids. If Euphemia was facing the time limit, then so would Gilbert and Cornelia. Losing the powers of both hybrids would be a big blow. I doubted we could even formulate another plan without them. The next few seconds would be crucial. If the aliens didn’t reach the designated area within that time, we weren’t doomed… we were dead.

“Come on… come on,” I muttered to myself as I watched Cornelia spit out columns of fire in each direction.

Closer and closer the mass of aliens inched towards our target area. I could hardly breathe as Cornelia shot out one more blast of energy, driving the last ones of them around the corner… and into the range of Suzaku’s sound waves.

“Stop!” I yelled.

Not bothering to wait for Euphemia’s confirmation, I turned the intercoms back on. “Phase 2 initiate!”

The three glass slabs that had been laid on the ground in advance immediately lifted off and snapped into position, caging the mass of aliens. Stepping out from the shadows, Gino placed his hands on one side of the glass prison, unleashing a chilly gust into the encaged area through the microscopic holes that punctuated the surface. The holes were big enough for him to release enough energy but small enough to prevent the aliens inside from escaping.

Trapped in the enclosure with an increasing amount of freezing cold air, the alien mass grew more aggressive in its attempt to escape. With incredible speed, they threw themselves against each of the glass slabs, testing its strength repeatedly in hopes that it would break. Thanks to the scientists back at Control Center, the slabs withstood their attacks easily.

Seeing that their effort wasn’t paying off, they changed their strategy. Instead of propelling themselves head on into the center of the slab, they targeted each corner at a sharp angle. With each hit, I felt the slab budge out of Lelouch’s control. Energy was being pulled out of me through the invisible link between me and Lelouch and directed to maintaining the position of the slabs.

Even as Gino pumped more and more chilling air into the glass prison, the alien mass never faltered, maintaining its incessant attacks. The sweat dripped down my forehead as I tried to regulate the alien presence that threatened to overwhelm Lelouch. My heartbeat was racing out of control and it was all I could do to prevent myself from falling out of my chair.

“(F/N)! Are you alright?”

I could barely hear Euphemia’s concerned voice coming from somewhere to my right but I had no spare energy to respond to her. Focusing instead on maintaining equilibrium with Lelouch’s conscience, I could feel him slowly losing the fight against the alien presence. Knowing that he could hear me through our telepathic link, I whispered encouragingly.

_Hold on, Lelouch._

My eyes drifted to the digits on the bottom right screen. We were one minute past our time limit and heading into dangerous territory. The familiar feeling of fear was creeping up on me but I could not let it paralyze me. Fighting it down, I poured everything I had into the link. The sudden burst of energy held the alien conscience at bay although I was only holding on by a hair.

But I could feel that the aliens’ attacks were slowing down in speed and in intensity. The cold temperature was shutting down their body function and crippling them slowly but steadily. My fingernails dug into the plastic seat underneath me as I watched their movement gradually drop to a minimum.

No longer were they prodding at the glass slabs and I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I felt Lelouch stopping his telekinesis. Gino had also dropped to the ground in exhaustion, his limit having been reached. We could only hope that our efforts were enough now.

The alien mass was still moving in a purposeful manner but for the life of me, I could not figure out what they were trying to do. Were they trying to break out in a different manner?

I spoke into the microphone, my voice coming out shakily. “Wh… What are they doing?”

“Can’t….. tell” came Lelouch’s reply. “Looks like…. Symbols…”

Squinting at the screen, I saw a few squiggly black lines but my blurry vision made it hard to focus. I scrambled for a piece of paper but my trembling hands helped me none.

“Let me help you, (F/N),” Euphemia voiced out as she scooted beside me, a small pad in her hand.

I nodded feebly, watching as she traced what she saw onto the pad. The finished diagram consisted of three symbols in a line – one wave-like symbol followed by a circle and another wave-like symbol. I frowned, my eyebrows knitting as I studied the drawing. It seemed so familiar, the answer just at the tip of my tongue but I just couldn’t quite place it.

An excited voice rang out in my earpiece, distracting me from the symbols. “The aliens collapsed!”

Cheering broke out from all around as the glass slabs fell to the ground, its prisoners having been defeated. A smile broke out across my face as I thanked our luck. By force of habit though, I took one last glance at the frozen aliens – just to ensure they were really incapacitated.

They laid frigid on the ground, their formation still intact as if they had instantly collapsed. My eyes widened as realization dawned on me – the wave symbol I had seen earlier laid flat formed an ‘S’.

The words they had formed earlier was..

_S O S_


End file.
